


Life is Short, Death is Forever

by irondad1spiderson1andloki



Series: Peter Dying [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Irondad, Peter Parker Dies, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Angst, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, he gets shot and its sad, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-12 11:10:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15338592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irondad1spiderson1andloki/pseuds/irondad1spiderson1andloki
Summary: Death doesn't discriminateBetween the sinners and the saintsIt takes, and it takes, and it takes





	1. Life is Short

Tony is at a meeting, when he finally breaks. He didn't see the men come in with guns, he was too busy feeding his ego. Showing off his company like it was the best thing in the world. 

Peter stood off to the side, looking at his mentor with the same admiration he always did. Innocent. 

Peter's Spidey Sense went off, and he noticed the gun before anyone else. He opened his mouth to warn someone, when a woman noticed it and screamed. 

Tony cut himself off, narrowing his eyes in confusion. He didn't notice the gun until it was too late. Peter shoved the billionaire to the ground, taking the hit himself.

Tony heard the shot go off, and then saw the bullet tear through his kid's chest. Not far from his heart. 

He couldn't bring himself to say a word as Peter slumped the ground, he just scrambled to his side, pressing his hands to the wound as blood pooled around the small body.

Peter's eyes fluttered open just a bit, and Tony got a good look at the life slowly fading away. Tony choked back a sob, shaking his head wildly. 

The bright puppy eyes were gone, all that was left was a dull, clouded version. There was some strange wise look in the kid's eye, Tony noted. Like...acceptance. Acceptance that death was now going to take the 16 year old away forever. 

"Come on, kid, stay with me, please. I can't-" Live without you, was unsaid. Peter forced a small smile that looked far too much like a grimace, meeting his mentor's eyes. 

He opened his mouth a few times like he was trying to say something, and Tony just softly sobbed over his kid's body. The rest of the screaming of people running from the shooter, and the shouts of the police forgotten.

Everything else but this was nothing but a hazy fog in his mind, his kid was dying. His world was ending. And death was forever. Tony couldn't live without his kid forever.

"Pete, you have to wait until it's safe for the medics to get inside. Okay, you're going to be okay." Tony tried to sound reassuring, but with the sobs clogging his throat, it just sounded like a raspy plead.

Peter managed a real smile this time, reaching up with one slightly bloodied hand. He rested his hand on Tony's cheek, and Tony used his free hand to hold it there. 

"It's o-okay, Mr. Stark." Peter choked out, smiling again. His teeth were bloody.

"No, it's not okay. N-None of this is ok-" Tony started babbling, his breaths coming in too fast. Peter squeezed his hand as hard as he could, which wasn't much considering his state.

Peter slowly shook his head, eyes fluttering closed but he was still breathing. "It's okay because you're okay. That's all I want, Mr. Stark." 

Peter's words were said with such a sincerity that Tony could have screamed right there. Peter never looked more calm, breathing slow, eyes half open.

"But I want you to be okay." Tony sniffled. He knew he must sound like a desperate child, but goddammit he didn't care. This was his kid, this was his entire life.

Without Peter, there was nothing. Tony couldn't go on, he just couldn't.

"Tony, there's notes for everyone under my bed in a box. Make sure they get them." Peter whispered, his words coming out so smoothly it made Tony want to throw up. 

Peter had prepared himself for death. He shouldn't have felt like he had to. So Tony failed. Tony failed to make him feel safe. 

And isn't that horrible to think about?

"I promise, Pete. I promise they'll get them." Tony kissed his kid's hand as gently and sweetly as he could manage. Peter smiled up at him again. The next words were so quiet, Tony could hardly hear them.

"Thank you. You were the greatest father I could ever ask for. I love you, D-Dad." 

 

And then Peter went limp, his hand suddenly far more heavy. Tony felt the tears streaming, heard the police taking down the gunman in the hall, heard the cameras snapping outside. But none of it registered, and everything around him was blurred.

His kid was dead.

And Tony Stark broke. 

Loud sobs and choked off screams ripped out of his throat as he clung to his child's body. Warm blood soaked his suit, and continued to spread around the carpeted floor. 

And Peter didn't say a word. Didn't take another breath. Didn't hug Tony back.

If Peter just came back, Tony would give him a hug everyday. He would assure Peter how much he loved him. He would spend as much time with him as the kid wanted. He would do everything for him.

But Peter wasn't coming back. Life is short. Death is forever.


	2. Death is Forever

Tony tipped the bottle back again and shivered as the burning liquid went down his throat. He slammed the bottle onto the table beside him, and looked at the picture again.

Peter and him, side by side while Peter held up a Decathlon trophy. The kid looked more innocent than ever, Tony noted. Smiling wide, the pure brown puppy eyes twinkling like stars.

Just looking at his kid makes Tony want to throw up, so Tony puts the photograph down far more roughly than he wished. He buries his head in his hands.

And sobs.

 

He sobs harder than he ever has in his whole life. He sobs harder than he did at the exact moment Peter died and he doesn't know why.

When his parents died, Tony didn't fully accept it for what must have been weeks. He spent his days wandering the house, picking up and putting down his mother's perfumes. He would hold up her beautiful jewelry to the light and smile. Even at the funeral, Tony didn't cry. Not a single tear. No, he cried when it came crashing down on him. It was agonizing pain, shooting through him in waves that didn't seem like they would ever stop.

And now. Now is when Peter's death came crashing down on him. But this time it didn't burn. It felt like ice cold waves of water suffocating him, pulling him down and he couldn't move. Goddammit, he can't move!

He can't do anything to bring Peter back because he's DEAD. 

'If you come back,' Tony thinks, 'I promise I'll do better'.

He promised Peter's...ghost? Memory? He didn't know, but he wanted to promise it. He promised that he would come to every Decathlon meet, no matter how busy he was. He promised he'd always watch Star Wars with him without complaining. He promised he'd buy Peter every nerdy poster or action figure he wanted.

But all the promising and wishing in the world wasn't bringing his kid back. And that hurt. So much.


End file.
